> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.changeout.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The reorganisation nobody announced - URL: https://www.changeout.org/the-reorganisation-nobody-announced/ - Published: 2026-11-06T10:47:57.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-06T10:47:57.000Z - Description: Stealth reorganisation: when roles vanish or balloon and nobody explains what's happening. Why leaders should communicate effectively - even when it's hard - Author: Lucy Caldicott - Tags: blog Responsibilities keep piling up until the job is twice the size it used to be, and the person trying to keep on top of things is told they're failing for not keeping up. A role disappears, and the reason given is poor performance, because the organisation can't quite bring itself to say it needs to get smaller. But then another remains unfilled. And another person is quietly let go. And another. These are two stories I've been reflecting on over the past week or so. One came from a one-to-one client, the other from the second live call for [The Changing Room](https://www.changeout.org/changing-room/) which took place last week. Different organisations, different countries but similar impacts on individuals. Apparently there's a name for this: stealth reorganisation. Roles are removed one by one, or stretched past what any human could manage, so that the real change programme underway never has to be announced or even mentioned. I hadn't come across this term before but I can imagine that it could be fairly common practice. I do understand why. I've been that boss who had to stand in front of a team and announce changes, and I know the dread that comes with it. Announcing "we need to do things differently" to your team means watching their faces drop, being asked questions you don't have answers to yet, and sitting with and feeling responsible for other people's fear. The instinct to avoid that is human and I do feel for anyone who has had to have that conversation and wished they didn't. But the cost of making these changes by stealth is so much greater. When there is a lack of information, people fill the gaps with their own explanation and often they blame themselves. They wonder what they did wrong. They work longer and harder to keep up with a workload that was always too much. They sit through a performance process for a role that doesn't have a future. Trust disappears because teams can tell when the story they're being given doesn't add up. If you're a leader reading this, and there's a change on the horizon that you haven't talked about to your team yet, announce it. Say it as clearly and as kindly and as honestly as you can, and say it sooner than feels comfortable. People can cope with hard news far better than they can cope with not knowing why things feel odd. If you're someone living through something like this right now, it may not be about you. Sometimes a role changes because the organisation has changed, and nobody has had the courage to tell you so. You're allowed to ask the direct question. You're allowed to notice when the explanation and the evidence don't match. And I'd love to hear from you. Has anyone else experienced this, or heard about it happening somewhere? Hit reply and let me know. I'm keen to figure out how widespread it is. --- Which brings me to something practical. Searching for your next role can be hard, particularly when the ground has shifted beneath you and nobody has told you why. Next Wednesday I'm joining [Anna Gardet](https://www.linkedin.com/in/annagardet/?ref=changeout.org), Director of Executive Search at [Giving Back Recruitment](https://www.givingbackrecruitment.co.uk/?ref=changeout.org) for a FREE, practical online workshop that brings together insights from executive recruitment and executive coaching. We'll look at how to: - Communicate your experience and achievements effectively - Strengthen your applications and interviews - Navigate rejection without losing confidence - Gain clarity about what you want from your next career move We'll also think about alternative routes, including interim and fractional leadership, and about how much it matters to build relationships and find support along the way. Whether you're actively looking or just wondering about your future direction, you'll leave with practical ideas and actions to help you move forward. There are three dates, all 11am to 12pm UK time, so choose the one that suits you. The first is next Wednesday, 11 November, and we'll start at 11:05 after the Remembrance Day silence. [Wednesday 11 November 2026](https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1df8da0d-85e7-4e1b-951a-80ef2e33feff@fd2756d8-8e3b-4f42-9b01-ab00ced68ea1?ref=changeout.org) [Tuesday 8 December 2026](https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2df76a1f-b5a7-4bbe-9e4d-7075869b9c56@fd2756d8-8e3b-4f42-9b01-ab00ced68ea1?ref=changeout.org) [Wednesday 20 January 2027](https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/94a9957f-962d-4935-ac86-d31d138a861b@fd2756d8-8e3b-4f42-9b01-ab00ced68ea1?ref=changeout.org) --- **What am I reading? 📚** The next book for our neighbourly book club is [The Secret Collector](https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-secret-collector-abigail-johnson/38e488a75159cb33?ean=9781035057757&ref=changeout.org) by Birmingham-based author, Abigail Johnson. **What am I watching?** 👀 [This BBC documentary](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0033gxj?ref=changeout.org) about Idi Amin's cruel expulsion of 80,000 Ugandan Asians in 1972 is harrowing. The film makers explore both what was happening on the ground in Uganda and the then political debates about British responsibility and whether the British passports these British citizens held entitled them to come to the UK. **What am I listening to?👂** I enjoyed listening to [this episode](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0032hbk?ref=changeout.org) of Earlier with Jools Holand, featuring Simon Le Bon. Beautiful classical music, much that was new to me. **Joy-giving things 😍** I love this time of year watching the leaves changing colour every day. The acers in the garden are putting on a beautiful display for us. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/57/d9/57d97f92-56a7-4c97-8c12-ac77d809cbf1/content/images/2026/11/IMG_9098.JPG) Have a restful weekend, everyone. Lucy --- *I've been writing regular blogs since 2020\. If you want to have a look at my back catalogue, they are all* [*here*](https://www.changeout.org/tag/blog/)*.* *If you're wondering whether coaching might help you think through where you are and where you're going next,* [*I'd love to hear from you*](https://bit.ly/coachingwithlucywaitlist?ref=changeout.org)*.* *If you'd like company while you work through any or all of this, The Changing Room is my community for leaders and professionals working through change, a difficult workplace, a career crossroads or simply a sense that it's time for something different. We meet for live calls, we swap what we're learning, and everyone gets the recordings on demand if they can't make it on the day. It's open to everyone at £20 a month, and your first month is free, so you can come in, have a look round and see whether it feels like your kind of room. More* [*here*](https://www.changeout.org/changing-room/) *You can also find me on* [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/lucycaldicott?ref=changeout.org)*,* [*Threads*](https://www.threads.com/@lucycaldicott?ref=changeout.org)*, and* [*LinkedIn*](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucycaldicott/?ref=changeout.org)*.* *🎬🎬🎬* [*YouTube*](https://www.youtube.com/@LucyOnLife?ref=changeout.org) *🎬🎬🎬* If you like what you read and you'd like to show your appreciation in cash, you can do that [here](https://ko-fi.com/changeout?ref=changeout.org). I'd be very grateful!